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Monday, March 22, 2010

Things That Make My Life Easier: 9 Month Old Edition.

*Note! This is not a compensated review - simply my thoughts and feelings on products that I have found on my own.

I think it's fun to see what other Moms out there can and can't live without in different stages of their children's lives. This new Stage of Mobility that we are now smack dab in the middle of has brought about a whole new array of "musts". I would love to take this opportunity to share them with you. Now, my "musts" list is pretty darn long, so I condensed it into just a few categories. I may do a few other posts later showcasing different areas of little Weebie's life and the things we can't live without.

OUT TO EAT!

I know that every Mom has different lifestyles and that some of you may not eat out much, if ever at all. But a lot of us do! And I am one Mom that does. I love to meet up with friends for lunch, go out to dinner with my entire family and have evenings out with my little family of 3 as much as we can. It's just fun! I have found several products in this category that are absolute life savers.

1. The Portable Clip On High Chair

I absolutely love this little jewel because it makes our time at restaurants so much easier. If it is just Husby, Me and Levi out to eat, we just clip him to the table inside a booth next to one of us. It's great because he is not hanging out in the aisle! It's also fantastic because Levi is the only baby to have ever been in it. We know the only germs on it are his! It will easily clip to any table and is easy to transport. There are several different versions of this little chair and I found ours at Babies R Us.

2. Disposable Place Mats

There are probably few things as filthy as restaurant tables! I cringe when I see Mommy's plop down their babies finger foods down on a table without at least wiping it down first. Yikes! These little things have a peel away sticky back and it adheres perfectly to any table without moving. Levi loves to stare and play with the little mat and it's a great opportunity to teach him colors and animals while we're eating. I can throw any type of little food on this thing without any worry that he might get sick.

3. Disposable Bibs

As if our diaper bags are not cram packed enough, the last thing we need to do is keep a pile of bibs in there. These handy dandy disposable bibs are tiny and fold up so small. It's simple to just throw one on him and not worry about the mess. I love these. One pack comes with like 30 or something like that, and they are super cheap.

4. Packin' Smart Containers

This is one of my favorite products by far. The containers come off and on so you can bring as many or as few as you need. I always have 3 containers loaded up with puffs and yogurt melts. This is one of those things that I just throw on his disposable place mats and let him go to town!

IN HIS BELLY!

Levi loves meal time. He is starting to eat a little bit of table food with us, but I always make sure his "main dish" is something that I know has all the nutrients he needs.

1. Food - Sprout and Happy Baby

My favorite baby food is Sprout and Happy Baby. (I couldn't find a picture of Levi's favorite Happy Baby food, but here is a link!) I love these products because they are always organic, have minimal processing, allergy free and the consistency is wonderful! When I open one of these packets, it actually smells like the what is on pictured on the package. It's thick and not watery and Levi gobbles it up faster than anything. It is so fresh it's as if the sweet potato had just been mashed a few hours earlier. I have tried Gerber and Earth's Best, and while he did okay with it, he was never crazy about it. He wouldn't even touch the ones wit meat. The Chick Chick (found in the link) has actual white meat chicken chunks and smells delightful. He devours it like it's Thanksgiving dinner. The Sprout foods are created by Tyler Florence and are equally delicious. I am a huge fan of both of these foods!

2. Puffs (Happy Baby)

Levi prefers to self feed. Though the obviously can't eat his Chick Chick with a spoon, he loves to snack on these little treats between meals. These puffs smell heavenly.

3. Nuby Silicon Sippy Cups

Levi drinks his formula and juice out of these cups (except for the bottles I give him before a nap and bedtime). He has always done so well with the flexible silicon tips and he also likes to chew on them - I think it feels good on his little teething gums. These little cups are easy to hold and are a great size for Levi at this age. They are spill/leak proof and have proven themselves effective time and again!

OUT AND ABOUT!

1. Shopping Cart Cover

They say that shopping carts have more germs than toilet seats. I definitely believe it and refuse to let my baby ride around in one without either an extreme wipe down or this shopping cart cover. I prefer the cover because it makes the cart more comfortable and cushy for him. Plus, it has a place for my cell phone and hooks to clip toys to. I also love my shopping cart cover because if by chance I forget my portable high chair, I simply throw it on a restaurant high chair and viola - the germs are hidden! :)

2. A Useful Stroller (Joovy)

If you are an avid errand runner or out-and-about'er like I am, it is very important to invest in a great portable stroller. The one I originally had proved to be more of a headache than a help, so we found this one a few weeks ago and it has changed our worlds! It is super compact, no assembly required and it is so easy to deal fold up and pop out. The sun covering goes down super low so that it blocks out most light, allowing them to nap when needed. The recline/sit up system is so easy to maneuver whether they are asleep or awake. The seat is very comfortable and kind of hugs them while they sit. I love love love this stroller and recommend it to everyone.

AROUND THE HOUSE!

Toys are an ever changing subject with growing babies. Right now, Levi has no interest in sitting in one place and playing with anything. He wants to be walking along the furniture and exploring every nook and cranny of our home. The following toys are basically the only things he is interested in for the time being.

1. The Shopping Cart

This isn't our exact one, but it is similar. A few weeks ago, Levi figured out how to hold on to the handle and walk around the house pushing it. This is a fantastic toy to encourage walking and help their coordination! The only reason we bought it was because he kept showing interest in walking further distances (rather than along the couch), so we thought this would be the best toy to help with that.

2. A Standing Toy (Music Table)

Like I said, Levi doesn't like to sit. He prefers standing. This toy lets him walk around it while playing with different musical sections. The top also flips over and has a lego-type function. So fun!

These are a few things that we have found and by trial and error, adore! It amazes me the new things they come out with for babies and Moms. It is such a fun industry and I can't wait to see what they come out with next! :)

I love the Happy Baby products. I have never seen the Sprout ones though. They look really good! We keep a box of those disposable bibs in the car because I can never remember to keep a bib in my diaper bag for some reason. We don't eat out a lot, maybe that's it.

When my children were younger, I ALWAYS wiped the table!! Always had items for them to eat, keep busy, etc. It made for a much easier mealtime! I RARELY had to remove my child from restaurant table due to disturbances.

I have never seen the disposable bibs or placemats but need to get them & as well as the highchair!! We go out to eat with my in laws every Sunday & all of that would help out so much....thank you for sharing all this :)

By the way I LOVE the containers; I have those was well as some others for B's food for daycare (since I make all his food) & they are perfect!!

As someone who runs a restaurant, I LOVE the disposable placemats! We love when parents bring them, and are thinking about keeping some on hand. We sanitize our tables between guests, but it is nice for the parents to be rest-assured. Plus, they leave the table clean instead of a sticky mac-n-cheese mess :) Not that I mind cleaning up after the little ones, but it makes things easier on everybody!

This made me think about baby items in general. What are some things you recommend when you're first starting out? I want to be prepared, but it's a little overwhelming looking at carseats and strollers, etc. Or have you posted about these things before?

I loved the shopping cart cover when my kiddos were little. I think it saved them from a lot of uneccessary sickness. I have a Joovy Stroller, too. It's the sit and stand one. I also really love the disposable placemats. Companies make it so easy to be mobile with kids. :)

I love posts like this! I always find things that I haven't used before that I want to try. Disposable bibs - brilliant! And I love that clip on high chair. And those sticky placemats. I am one of those moms who puts the food straight on the table, but I cringe, too! I hate that, and I didn't know what else to do! Now I have a solution! Thanks!

I love the clip on high chair. The little boy I used to watch back in Virginia had one and I thought it was the coolest thing ha. There dinning area was in a weird spot so they didn't have much room for a high chair, the clip on chair took up NO room! It was awesome ha.

oh, I love this stuff!!! The clip on high chair is a must have for sure, and I really like the disposable placemats and cart cover! My sister in law has the high chair, and I used to think it would just fall off :), but I think it's pretty sturdy ;)

Hello, Darlings!

I am a thirty-something girl who has dreamed of having babies and making a warm and enchanting home all of her life. After 12 years of school, 4 years of college and 4 years of the workforce, I finally reached my goal and am living my dream. God has blessed me with the most endearing Husby in all the land and he is a Sports Medicine Physician fulfilling his own dream. We have a bubbly little boy named Levi and an adorable baby boy named Ezra, who bring us constant joy and bundles of giggles. Join the four of us, as we walk through the journey of life one dazzling day at a time.